Zarif Terms Geneva N. Deal 'Test' for All Parties

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The nuclear deal signed by Iran and the world powers in Geneva on November 24 is a test of commitment for all negotiating parties, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi.

“In Geneva, a very important step was taken but now the more important step is the implementation of the Geneva agreement and the commitment for all sides to the content of the deal,” Zarif said at the meeting held in Tehran on Sunday evening.

Zarif further warned about any effort to derail the deal, and noted, "Now all sides must be cautious that extremist groups in certain countries do not derail the implementation of the agreement or weaken the commitments of the (negotiating) parties."

Tehran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) signed a six-month deal on Tehran’s nuclear program after three rounds of intensive talks in the Swiss city of Geneva on November 24.

The deal is intended to allow time to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on the nuclear program, with the aim of bringing a decade-long standoff over Iran’s nuclear program to an end.

In exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities and allow more inspection of its nuclear facilities, the six world powers have agreed to impose no new sanctions on Iran and to suspend some existing ones on its trade in petrochemicals, automobiles, gold and precious metals, civil aviation parts, and food and medicine.

As regards Iran-China ties, the Iranian foreign minister stressed Tehran’s preparedness to improve comprehensive bilateral relations with its strategic and economic partner, China, in all political, economic and cultural fields.

“The policy of expanding relations with the East is among the most strategic principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Zarif said.

The Chinese official, for his part, described Beijing’s ties with Tehran as strategic and sustainable and called for further expansion of all-out relations.

He pointed to the recent nuclear deal, and praised Iran’s powerful presence in Geneva talks, adding that a very important deal has been reached which was a turning point in nuclear negotiations.